What your calcium score means
The Agatston score measures calcified plaque in your coronary arteries. Here is what each band describes — and what it does not.
A coronary artery calcium scan produces a single number: the Agatston score. It is calculated from the area and density of calcified plaque visible in your coronary arteries on a non-contrast CT.
That is the whole measurement. It is a plaque burden number. It is not a picture of a blockage, it does not tell you whether an artery is narrowed, and it cannot see soft, non-calcified plaque — which is real, and which is the kind most likely to be involved in events in younger people.
The bands
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0
No identifiable calcified plaque. Generally low risk of coronary artery disease.
A zero does not mean zero risk. The scan only sees calcified plaque, and soft non-calcified plaque does not show up. It is still the most common result for people under 45.
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1–10
Minimal calcified plaque. Generally considered low risk.
A small amount of plaque is present. Most guidelines treat this as a low-risk result, but it is a real finding and worth a conversation about the risk factors you can change.
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11–100
Mild plaque. Worth discussing risk-factor modification with your doctor.
Plaque is established. This is the band where people most often talk with a clinician about blood pressure, lipids, smoking, and family history.
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101–400
Moderate plaque. Follow up with your doctor on next steps.
A moderate burden of calcified plaque. Your clinician may want more testing or a change in how aggressively your risk factors are managed.
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Over 400
Extensive plaque. Higher risk. Prompt clinician follow-up.
A high calcium burden. This is a result to take to a clinician promptly rather than sitting on. It is a measure of plaque, not a diagnosis of a blockage, and what happens next is a decision for you and your doctor.
A calcium score is one data point, not a diagnosis. What it means for you is a conversation with a licensed clinician.
What the score does not tell you
It does not diagnose anything. A score is one input a clinician weighs alongside your blood pressure, lipids, family history, smoking, and everything else they know about you.
A zero is not immunity. Soft plaque does not calcify, so it does not appear. A zero is a genuinely good result and it is not a guarantee.
A high score is not a sentence. It describes plaque that has accumulated over years. What to do about it is a clinical decision, and it is one worth making promptly rather than sitting on.
We are not going to tell you what to take. You will find sites that turn a score into a drug recommendation. We are a directory, we have never met you, and that is your clinician’s call.
How often do people rescan?
There is no single answer, and the honest version is that it depends on your score and on what your clinician is trying to learn. Repeat scanning is generally discussed in terms of years rather than months, and a repeat scan carries the same small radiation dose as the first one. Ask the clinician who ordered it.
Ready to get one?
Last updated September 16, 2026.